With the existence of AIDS, hepatitis, influenza, and other diseases that are transferable through bodily fluids, the medical community must take precautions to avoid exposure and contact with the bodily fluids of their patients. The latex gloves that are widely used by medical practitioners provide protection from these fluids; however, the provided protection is significantly decreased when the medical practitioner uses sharp instruments. Many medical professionals, such as surgeons and embalmers, must use scalpels, scissors, knives, saws and other various sharp tools. The standard latex glove does not provide adequate protection inasmuch as the latex glove, and the practitioners hand, may easily be lacerated by these instruments, thereby intimately and dangerously exposing the doctor to the patent's bodily fluids.
It is therefore desirable that surgical gloves provide protection from these sharp objects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,263, discloses gloves that are allegedly puncture and cut resistant, and have of at least one elastomeric layer containing a plurality of flat platelets. The flat platelets are seen as being comprised of carbon steel, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals, ceramics, and crystalline materials with a plate-like nature.
Cut resistant composite yarns capable of being knitted or woven into cut resistant articles are also known as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,649. The cut resistant yarn includes a high modulus fiber and a particle filled fiber prepared from a filled resin. These fibers are made into yarns by conventional methods, then wrapped around each other to create a composite yarn. Although fabrics knitted from these yarns provide protection from cuts, they do not provide protection from fluids inasmuch as fluids can easily pass through the weaves. Consequently, these gloves can only be used as a liner glove for surgical use, and a second common latex glove must be worn to prevent contact with bodily fluids.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,815 discloses a flexible, uncoated glove made from a layer of fibrous material adhered to a surface of a latex glove without being fully encapsulated thereby.
Although thicker gloves, or gloves made of materials such as metal mesh, may provide more adequate protection from cuts, they do not provide the wearer with a great degree of tactile sensitivity or flexibility. These features are highly desirable when working with dangerous instruments in an environment that demands precision. Thus, there is a need in the art for cut resistant elastomeric films and more particularly for flexible, tactile sensitive, cut resistant gloves made from these films.